Health behaviors of foreign mothers in Japan regarding their young children and the factors that affect these behaviors: A qualitative study.

Abstract

The number of foreign residents in Japan is increasing and these residents therefore should no longer be disregarded as members of Japanese society. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the health behaviors of foreign mothers in Japan regarding their children and the factors that affected these behaviors. A qualitative descriptive research design was used, involving a content analysis. Six focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 24 foreign mothers who were members of childrearing circles. The health behaviors were classified as "Gathering information about child health management," "Preventing obstructions to child health care," "Perceiving the child's health condition," "Deciding to take the child to a healthcare facility," "Selecting adequate healthcare facilities," and "Managing at home when the child is sick." The factors that affected the health behaviors were classified as "Japanese culture and customs," "Child's health condition," "Culture and customs of the mother's native country," "Family," "Mother's health perception," "Healthcare facility and healthcare provider," "Friends," "Mother's health condition," "Internet," "Becoming accustomed to life in Japan," and "Japanese language ability." Gathering information, preventing obstructions to child health care, and perceiving the child's health condition were the most common behaviors. The main factors that affected the health behaviors were the culture and customs of both Japan and the mother's native country and the child's health condition. It is recommended that healthcare professionals support foreign mothers to gather adequate and appropriate information regarding health, particularly child health, considering not only the culture and customs of the mother's native country, but also of the host country.